


Stories of the Second Self: Luc of the Draw

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [164]
Category: Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:34:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22745614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: A woman out for a jog is tackled and thrown down. Fearing a sexual assault, she tries to fight off the attacker, until he warns her about being heard by even more dangerous people. When armed men pass by seemingly unable to see her or the assailant, she realizes that he's not human and the implications for herself will alter her life.
Series: Alter Idem [164]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Luc of the Draw

It's not that I wasn't careful going to the park alone. I had pepper spray, a personal alarm, and even set up with a friend to call me every half hour while I was out. Though, that didn't stop this asshole from jumping out of nowhere during my jog to tackle me off the trail.

When I landed it was in a depression filled with leaves, and he was on top of me fumbling to grab my wrists. I kept kneeing him while going for either my alarm or spray, whatever I could grab first. Something sharp kept digging into my shins as he tried hiking his legs up to fully pin me down.

Just as I was about to scream he slammed his hand over my mouth and drew in close. "Shhh! They'll hear you!"

That didn't stop me struggling but it confused me. My initial reaction had been he was a rapist, but now I saw that he must've been just nuts. That is, until I heard other people in the distance.

"The hell'd he go?" one voice seethed.

"Not over here," a close man's voice called back.

The people the attacker apparently was hiding from where visible to me, but they looked right at both of us and seemed not to see. Turning back at the attacker I realized there were four-point antlers coming from his forehead right at the hairline. The bridge of his nose looked double-wide and his neck thicker. Every time his leg shifted that digging edge sensation hurt, and looking down I saw the reason was he had cloven hooves.

Shocked, I looked back into his face with his index finger over his lips. I then turned my attention to the men wandering around, some of them armed. In total I made out six, but two had some sort of shimmer around them that I realized were wings. Somehow the wings seemed to bend light around them making them hard to see unless they moved.

Yet, the men didn't find the guy who kept me pinned under him and moved off. I thought about screaming still, but something about how six guys in street clothes and guns unlike what I imagined cops would use made me think twice.

When they moved off the antlered man and I remained still for a prolonged moment. At last I had to whisper, "What are you?"

"What do you mean, what am I?" he whispered back even quieter.

"You have antlers." I strained my face as a substitute for raising my voice.

"You see them?" It was his turn to be confused, his brow furrowing.

"They're right there," I replied, "How can you miss them?"

"Oh shit," he gaped, "You're one of us."

"What?" My throat went tight at hearing that.

He shuffled off me to lay on his side at my right. "I'm sorry about grabbing you, but I didn't want you to give me away."

"Why?" I demanded, "Who are those people?"

He kept his voice down still. "Some religious group. They think we're devils or something. They've been going around the city trying to identify us all."

"Us?" I wasn't sure what he meant.

"People who aren't human any more," he clarified.

"You were normal before?" I asked.

"Yeah, and if you can see through my illusion then it's only a matter of time before you change," he said, "Has your forehead ever itched no matter how much you scratch at it? Ears get warm just out of the blue? Do you feet sometimes hurt worse than anything before? Like growing pains?"

I had felt the itching he described, and my hand unconsciously went to my forehead. When he turned to look toward where the other men went I noticed his back-pointed ears.

"Looks safe," he said, turning back to me, "I think you should come with me."

"Excuse you?" I couldn't help my voice rising in disbelief at that.

"Look, something's comin'," he insisted, his hand waving out at me.

"You said they were out to get people who aren't human," I reminded, "So what about those two guys with wings. What the hell are they?"

"Angels," he said plainly.

"Wait--, from heaven?" I sputtered unsure I head right.

"No, they used to be human too," he answered, "I figure the fundies are giving them a free pass or something. Anyway, let's go."

"Uh, no," I stated flatly, "I'm going home. I won't call the police, but really I should. Really, what's the big idea throwing me down?"

"I told you," he became exasperated, "I was afraid you'd give me away."

"If you can hide your antlers and all the other stuff from normal people why not make yourself invisible?" The reasoning just popped into my head.

"It's only sight I can mess with," he answered, "Can't hide noises or smells."

"You're telling me they all have better sense of smell?" I asked.

"No, but the werewolves do," he replied.

"Say that again," I gasped.

"It'd be easier if I just introduce you to some others of us," he said.

At that point my phone rang, and this antlered guy practically jumped off the ground from the start. I answered it and hastily told my friend I was okay while watching this elf or satyr or whatever he was for his reaction.

After hanging up he and I stood, and I wiped myself down from all the autumn leaves and dirt clinging to my freshly washed jogging outfit.

"Okay, so where are we going?" I wanted him to say it first.

Concession spread across his face and he raised his hands out to his sides. "It's actually in this park. Really, it'd be better if I show you."


End file.
